Master the Basics of Web Design: A Beginner’s Crash Course

Are you aiming to design a first website? If so, then there are a few things worth considering beforehand. This guide will provide details on the basics of website design, the required software, and some design tips.

To begin with, you should consider the overall site content. That is to say, what you are planning to include in the website, and how many potential pages may be included in a website. Then, you should also consider a potential title for your website that will reflect the content in some way.

Some beginners to website design may not be familiar with HTML. This stands for Hyper-Text Markup Language, which is code used for websites and pages. It includes a variety of scripts that can be used to design websites and pages, which are included in bracketed tags such as <p>, <b>, <i>, <img>, and <h1>. These are the opening and closing tags for paragraphs, with all closing tags including a / to close them.

Note that while HTML can be used to design websites, it is not essential. HTML coding software can provide a way to design web pages with HTML. There is alternative software. Website design software such as Dreamweaver does not require any HTML to be entered, and instead provides a variety of design options and features. As such, such software is more recommended for beginners.

When you have found a suitable software package to design your website, you can begin building the website. Firstly, note that all websites have a home page. The home page of the website is the front page, or first page of the website, like a front cover or contents of a book. As such, the title of the website is included here, as well as the site index or contents with links to the other pages of the site. Overall, the home page is the first page to design of the website.

With this, the other pages of the site can then follow. How you design these pages is more a matter of preference. However, it is worth keeping the design of these pages fairly consistent with the same fonts, text size, similar background, etc. Make use of subheadings and titles to further subdivide the content of the site.

Pictures and videos can be added to websites. To add pictures, you can make use of the standard formats for these, which are JPEG, PNG, Webp (for web graphics), SVG (for vector graphics), and GIF. Either of these formats will be suitable. If you plan to include a good number of pictures, then thumbnails can be a better option. Essentially, these shrink the pictures, which can then be enlarged if selected.

Some more advanced effects can also be added to websites via JavaScript. JavaScript is slightly more advanced than HTML, which can enhance websites with a variety of effects. However, JavaScript websites include a variety of JavaScript code that can be copied to your own website.

When you have finished designing your own website, check it! If you can preview the website beforehand, do this and make sure all the links work, and that the formatting of the website is as intended. If this is okay, then you can upload it.

To do this, you will need to have registered with a server and have server space for a website. If this is the case, your design software may have pertinent options to assist with upload. If not, FTP (File Transfer Protocol) software will be required. Hereafter, you will have your own website. Well done, and remember that any website can still be further enhanced.